I like when a movie stays with me after I’ve seen it: When I recall certain images, or replay specific scenes in my head, or think about the performances of the actors. The Great Gatsby, however, is overstaying its welcome. Since seeing it yesterday afternoon, I’ve been unable to get it out of my mind.
Part of the reason the movie has taken up residence in my consciousness is its lavish imagery. I love good-looking movies, and The Great Gatsby brings the Jazz Age to life in a way no other movie I’ve seen has. Director Baz Luhrmann, whose filmography as a helmsman also includes Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet, pulled out all the stops when bringing the razzle-dazzle of the Roaring Twenties to the screen. The movie’s title character throws extravagant parties in which hundreds of people dressed in the clothing of the day dance and drink and make a mess of the place. Luhrmann’s camera soars over sumptuously detailed cityscapes. And there’s a shot of Times Square at night, packed with cars and people and lights, that’s so beautiful, I wanted to slip inside of it and just gawk.
You could take any frame from this movie and have something suitable for hanging on a wall. I especially loved the way Luhrmann shot Gatsby’s mansion, with its massive spaces, overwhelming architecture, and towering artwork. Those shots are haunting.
I initially thought 3D was an odd choice for a movie based on a classic novel, but it gives the film an unavoidable immediacy. While I loved the 3D effect in shots like Gatsby framed against a backdrop of fireworks, the camera zooming across a lake, or a character walking through a room bursting with white blossoms, its most effective use was in a scene in which five people wind up in a small hotel room, and two of the men fight for the affection of a single woman. The way Luhrmann shoots the sequence, I felt as though I was in the room with those people, immersed in heartbreaking drama. I love aliens popping out at me as much as the next 3D geek, but The Great Gatsby features some of the best use of the technology to date.
As visually engaging as The Great Gatsby is, I’m still reeling from the emotional punch of the story, which is based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel and another posthumously published piece Fitzgerald wrote. Having never read the novel - an outrage I plan to remedy immediately - or seen another version of the movie, I went in with no preconceived notions of what should be on the screen or how the story should play out. So I was surprised to discover The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story. While it paints accurate pictures of the hedonistic and material excesses of the age, and dishes up scathing social commentary, at its heart beats a powerful sadness. Gatsby loves Daisy with the kind of passion that can rule a man’s heart, but she’s married to a man who scarcely acknowledges her presence. From there, drama ensues.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Gatsby is the movie’s emotional anchor. I’ve always enjoyed watching DiCaprio, but I’ve never noticed how much of his acting is rooted in his eyes. Gatsby is a great character for any performer: a wealthy man who came from nothing; a hopeless romantic; an obsessed lunatic; a dangerous criminal; a falsehood. He has a lot of layers, and you can see all of them in DiCaprio’s eyes. His performance is more than pitch perfect; it’s a deeply felt and fully realized tour de force.
Quickly before I wrap this up: Despite many critics crying “Sacrilege!” over Luhrmann’s use of hip-hop in the soundtrack, I found his choice of music refreshing.
Have you ever seen an old movie and thought, “They don’t make them like that anymore?” The Great Gatsby is proof that they do still sometimes make them like that. It’s lavishly produced, impeccably acted, and tells a story you can sink into and then walk away from utterly captivated. It will be with me for a long time.
Three-and-a-half stars out of four. Rated PG-13 for violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying, and brief language.